- Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the royal family's official London residence.
- Royals spend Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk every year.
- Balmoral Castle in Scotland is a secluded royal escape with livestock and gardens.
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The royal family owns $18 billion worth of real estate in the UK. Some of the castles and cottages have been in the royal family for hundreds or even thousands of years. Many of them are open to the public for tours at certain times of year, where people can see for themselves how they've changed.
Here's what seven royal residences looked like then and now.
Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the royal family's official London residence.
It's also the administrative headquarters of the ruling monarch — in other words, the Queen's office.
Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms total, including 19 state rooms, 52 bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms.
It opens to the public for tours every summer as well as for a limited time during December, January, and Easter.
Buckingham Palace also hosts world leaders for receptions and parties in spaces such as the Blue Drawing Room.
Buckingham Palace hosted world leaders during the Downing Street Summit in 1977.
The wallpaper has faded a bit over the years, but the Blue Drawing Room is still blue and used for entertaining guests.
Queen Elizabeth hosted a dinner attended by Theresa May during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018 and entertained guests in the Blue Drawing Room.
Louis Haghe painted this watercolor painting of Buckingham Palace's State Ballroom in 1856.
The painting shows the second ball to have taken place in the new ballroom designed by Sir James Pennethorne, according to the Royal Collection Trust. Before that, balls were held in the Throne Room.
The State Ballroom hosts the occasional banquet today.
Queen Elizabeth hosted a state banquet in honor of King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain's visit in 2017.
Sandringham House is a private residence on an 8,000 hectare-estate owned by the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth inherited Sandringham House from her father in 1952.
A staff of over 200 people maintain the property today.
Tours are available of Sandringham House and its gardens.
The royal family spends their free time on the estate.
"I have always been so happy here and I love the place," King George VI wrote of Sandringham.
Sandringham House is also where the royal family celebrates Christmas together.
Meghan Markle attended the festivities while she and Prince Harry were engaged, which was an exception to the royal protocol of only allowing spouses at Christmas.
Parts of Windsor Castle date back 900 years.
King Henry II replaced the wood structure of the castle with stone in the 1170s, and King Edward III extended the castle in the 1360s.
Queen Elizabeth usually spends weekends there.
She also spends a week in June at the castle to attend the Order of the Garter and the Royal Ascot.
St. George's Chapel has hosted important events in the royal family's history.
King George V's funeral service was held there in 1936.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot at St. George's Chapel in 2018.
Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank there a few months later. When it's not being used for an invitation-only event, many parts of the castle are open to the public.
Clarence House was built between 1825 and 1827 for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence.
Architect John Nash was commissioned with building Clarence house, having also worked on Buckingham Palace in the early 19th century.
Tours are offered every summer.
The ground floor has five rooms that are open to the public every August.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived there when they first got married in 1947.
The Queen Mother lived there from 1953 until 2002.
Today, Clarence House is the official residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
The Prince of Wales had lived in Clarence House from the ages of 1 to 3, and officially returned on August 4, 2003, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
William III bought Kensington Palace in 1689 from the Earl of Nottingham, who was also his Secretary of State.
Queen Victoria was born and raised in Kensington Palace. Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth's grandmother, was also born there.
Kensington Palace is now home to 13 high-ranking members of the royal family.
Its royal residents include Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved out in 2018 before the birth of their son, Archie.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a residence in Kensington Palace.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced in 1996 after four years of separation.
Prince William and Kate Middleton live in a 20-room apartment at the palace.
They hosted the Obamas in 2016.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is the Queen's official residence in Scotland.
Also known as Holyrood Palace, it began as a monastery in 1128.
It's open to the public all year round.
Tours are available through the Royal Collection Trust.
Sir William Allan's painting "The Murder of David Rizzio" painstakingly recreated the interior of the Palace of Holyroodhouse as it looked when Mary, Queen of Scots, lived there.
The painting depicts the Queen of Scots' Italian secretary David Rizzio being assassinated in 1566.
The Queen's Gallery at Holyroodhouse showcases works from the royal collection.
The palace also hosts Holyrood Week, a celebration of Scottish culture, every summer.
Balmoral Castle is the royal family's vacation home in Scotland.
Prince Albert bought it for Queen Victoria in 1852, then decided to demolish the existing structure and build a new larger one on the grounds in 1856.
The 50,000-acre estate features 150 buildings in total.
The castle grounds are open to the public from the end of March until the end of July.
The castle grounds contain a farmhouse, a dairy farm, and gardens.
It's a peaceful escape for members of the royal family.
In the documentary "Our Queen At Ninety," Princess Eugenie called Balmoral Castle "the most beautiful place on Earth."
"I think granny is the most happy there," Princess Eugenie said.
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